1972 BMW 2002 Restomod | Jay Leno's Garage
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- čas přidán 3. 07. 2022
- Dorian Hicklin meticulously restored and modified this BMW 2002 to be the ultimate canyon carver and lets Jay be the first one to drive it!
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A new video every Sunday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.
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Imagine Jay Leno flagging you down because he likes your car...
Thanks for always keeping us with fresh content, Jay! You're a real gift to the car community.
Jay Leno for President! ;-)
This guy is another one of those Jay Leno's Garage guests that just super-knows his stuff, I love the choices he made and why he made them.
After owning 40 of them, he know what he likes and how to do it.
I just love the way he whittled her weight down to 2100# or so and be opening her up to breath easier, and over boring the cylinders with larger pistons got the power up to what he’s modestly saying is 150-160 Hp. I’d love to see this set up dyno’d to know what kind of power it’s putting out. Bottom line: a totally respectable power to weight ratio even with all the track compliance and frame stiffening mods. This is one kickass ride.
American shmee type o’ vibe
Other than the shift knob
Oh totally... He like, really so totally SUPER-knows his stuff.. Totally tubular dood.
If you happen upon Jay at a car event he is exactly as he is here. Approachable, personable and enthusiastic about cars!
I can remember the 2002 in 1984 when a Senior drove it and it had been his Dad's car. Imagine that, your Dad had a 2002 and it was a hammy down, another guy drove an Alfa Romeo GTV6 and he was a Senior. I had a VW Sirocco and I bought it from mowing lawns and fixing stuff at 16 years old. In the Highschool parking lot, we parked together...and we raced. So much fun. Then a few years later, a guy got the Porsche 944. Oddly enough, we could all out run him but the girls liked the 944 because of that Molly Ringwold film. Still, we were not rich, but we had $1500 dollar cars and raced. Good Times! The new 944 was way more $$$ but could not out run us because we modified. Good times! Mid 80's. Affordable. Fun.
Gtv6 interior so cool.
I also like how Jay points out some decent upgrades and the owner sees the advantage immediately. Both are tuned in on this car.
It is so nice to watch two guys who a. know what they are talking about and b. have no vanity or pretence about it. Thank you Jay and Dorian.
Lost my dad to pancreatic cancer a few years back while I was still relatively young, he was young too, he use to rally a bmw 2002. We would watch car programs together whilst mother cooked dinner, we would nerd out over all kinds of cars and Jay Lenos garage was one of our favourites
This episode hit home with me Jay, back in the early 80’s I had a small shop on Long Island NY. Restoring BMW 2002’s were my specialty, had owners coming from Jersey, Connecticut and of course all over Long Island. I loved the simplicity of the vehicle, most of them had a lot of rust issues, all rusted panels were replaced with OEM panels, all weather strip and molding. They left my shop in showroom condition. It’s been over 40 years and now I have the urge to restore one for myself! Funny story, the night before my wedding I was finishing a restoration, customer asked last minute if I would install a new transmission, of course it took longer than expected, was up all night, back early in the morning to deliver the vehicle and was almost late to my wedding 😳 Thank you again for these videos, I love them!
That's a great story! Do you still live in that area? I grew up in Hempstead, but long ago moved down South to the Carolinas
@@guytansbariva2295 I moved to florida, which is why I closed my shop in 1985.
@@nonnoziccardy4353 that's cool, I've visited many times. How do you like it? I'm on the beach near Myrtle Beach, it's a good life and things are quiet and for the most part, inexpensive.
@@guytansbariva2295 myrtle beach sounds great, florida has been great. It was very affordable when we moved here. I enjoy much more than Long Island.
Excellent car and what a likable, personable fellow-cheers to living well and doing what one enjoys. ✌🏻
here ..here
I came to the comments section to write exactly what you just wrote.
..but you wrote it better.
@@tonycatman Thank you for your kind words-have a prosperous day!
@@tonycatman ... How is "exactly" "better"?
@@JW...-oj5iw Exact meaning. Different words.
When the episode is almost 40 minutes long, you know the conversation is going to be great.
I didn't even look at the time.It sure didn't feel that long.It was very interesting.
@@bryduhbikeguy for sure
@@bryduhbikeguy for sure
I like the longer format and older car but the new cars pay the bills.
Spot on!
I worked at a BMW/Mercedes dealer in Lexington, Mass in the mid 70’s to early 80’s. The mechanics would love when one of these early 2002’s were traded in. They all wanted them. Great cars.
Jay Leno is a great human being. Been watching this show for years, every week. Just a class act
Me too. Along with the Top Gear/Grand Tour guys Jeremy, James, and Richard.
Well said.
Cool dude he met at book store. Glad he invited him to the garage. He can rebuild the clutch after Jay's finished driving!
Eddy: price you pay to be featured on JLG.
My dad had one, Alpina head mod and twin Webers which increased power to 125 HP.
My mom adored it and drove it from London to Switzerland in one go, leaving Colindale just north of London at about 06:00, hitting Dover in time to get a ferry at about 07:30 and reaching Lugano in southern Switzerland by 22:15.
This in early 70s when there was no highway of significant length on the way.
the French Routes Nationales were quite fast back in the day, had much less traffic. Nowadays it would take about 13 hours, so your mother's time of 16h sounds doable for a fast driver. Impressive nonetheless!
@@martian9999 the chunnel does change things.
Bet it was a dry day :)
@@nigelalderman9178 Dry day, wet driver, empty tank... 👍
Great story.!
I presently own a 1976 restmod 2002 in Fjord blue, so seeing this beautiful example just made me smile as much as when I'm driving mine! They are just so much fun to drive "fast"! As a matter of fact, 02's have a way of creating smiles to almost everyone that comes across them... and what's better in life than spreading a bit of happiness?! Great episode with a very thoughtful owner! Cheers to all you classic car enthusiasts out there!
My Air Force pilot training car, bought a Sahara Tan one new in San Antonio in 1970 while at OTS and drove it all over the country while on active duty. My rowing coach in college (a Marine Corps aviator) once told me “you will fondly remember the days you can put all your belongings in the back of your car when you move”. So true, when I separated from active duty in Little Rock I was able to drive back to California with all my stuff while towing a Hobie Cat 16.
Awesome story! Thanks for sharing.
Your story is wonderful to read. Estimate your age in the 72 - 75 ish range, maybe. Glad you are still with us. Also glad you are far more literate than the vast majority of CZcams commenters. It's nice to read evidence of real intelligence.
@@JW...-oj5iw thank you for your comment, you are correct on your math. I too am tired of internet trolls and appreciate the validation. BTW the rowing coach I mentioned was a mentor to me throughout his life, he just passed at 92 and I was honored to speak at his memorial.
The guy has done an absolutely great restoration .
Deep pockets. I wonder what he does for a living.
@@ergodoy7741 It's funny... He made really good decisions...
@@ergodoy7741 Crack Cocaine wholesale ?
@@ergodoy7741 you gotta have the money for this type of hobby
I dont like how the driver side door doesnt fit
Love the grin this guy gives Jay at 20:40 while he thinks, "Holy crap! Jay Leno is actually going to drive my car and I'm hanging with him." Love that Jay brings the homegrown enthusiasts onto his platform.
Watching Jay be a child on his show is always rewarding. Plus he always talks about his history with the car he brings onto the show. (:
One of the best restomods I've ever seen. What a beauty!
Beautiful, classy job on this 2002. I really like the 'whiffle ball' shift knob!
In the sun that gear knob will burn your hand trust me
@@nickkritikos210 As opposed to other metals in the sun? 🤔
@@michaelkelly3221 yup all aluminum and chrome shift knobs are like lava in the sun.
@@earlscheib7754 Lava in the sun? As opposed to lava at night? Pretty sure they're both the same temperature, Einstein!
Really love the bmw 2002, seems nimble and looks really cool, the color is great, a bit underpowered in the original setup, but this one doesn’t seem to have this problem😂.
Love it when Jay has people that really know and love the car, not a CEO that mostly listens and doesn’t have a lot of info about the insides of the car
Orig. set up 90-100mph all day long and out corner most. Not a bad starting point.
A 1972 Ford Escort weighed about 1700 pounds or 770 kg a modern Ford Fiesta weighs almost 2700 pounds.
Those lightweight performance cars of the 1960s and 1970s would have been fantastic to drive.
A 1965 Ford Mustang with a 5 litre V8 engine weighed about 2400 pounds or 1100 kg is lighter than a Porsche 911 today.
@@bighands69 ... Small point, but the '65 Mustang wasn't available with the "5 litre" engine. The 302 inch came along a bit later.
Really love this guy's take on his 2002.
.
All of the modifications are done in a tasteful way. The color choice is wonderful as well (the tartan interior is 😘)
I love how these two just feed of each other, this young man knows his stuff about these cars and Jay realizes it as well. One of my favorite videos from JLG!
Haha skip a couple lunches u don't need to drill the gear shifter !! Good one Jay..esp with this guy , haha he weighs less than a wet noodle !!
Love these 'Pocket Rockets' with tuned engine and suspension. Nimble and quick. Really nice restoration with details you won't see from the outside. Please do more of Dorians cars.
When BMW still made simple, reliable cars!
Italian body
Back in the day, I'd laugh if I heard my 2002 was 'reliable.' Yes, the basic engine and drivetrain were solid for the time period, but speedo cables, door-winders, CV axle boots, radiator, and nearly every other secondary component, were a constant plague on my time and wallet.
Very true.
@@flightlessboid Yes I guess that 'reliable' is a relative, subjective term. When compared to modern-day BMW's or any other German cars for that matter (which seem to have been designed by software programmers intent on dazzling users with batches of over complicated B.S. - "We are much smarter than you peasants!") the 1600's and 2002's were wonderful, simple cars. Much like the VW beetles. This from a guy who began life as a VW fan with a pair of '57s.
@@flightlessboid true lol...but they were ez to love
I love how many owners will mention that Jay is the first person to drive their cars besides themselves. I get it and would trust Jay with my 2016 Honda Fit any day.....
He's got good insurance!
Wow this made me laugh hard!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍🏼
I'd let him drive my prized 94 Corolla... 100% Original except radiator and alternator... And pads on frt. Rears still original ,(must not be working very hard). Only 278,000 miles on her!
Gee I remember these as I worked on them in taking My Apprenticeship as a Mechanic. My partner used to have a tii & raced it as well & did go like stink.
They're beautifully balanced and one of the few smaller vehicles that was RWD.
An Inka Orange 2002. Not too many of those around. Thank you Jay for throwing a bone to us Roundel enthusiasts!
Definitely a case of less is more. So clean, so crisp. Delicious!!!
Delicious? Maybe you should eat before commenting.
I understand... it's CLEEN
I love that Jay has regular people on his show
Driving my current BMW i3 ( 2017 with 98000( approx 60000 miles ) trouble free Km ) , I am often transported back to the late 70's when I drove the family 2002 . Its handling . fast acceleration and overall fun driving experience .
Love Jay's reaction when the guy says he's had 40 cars, like "wow, that's a lot of cars for one guy "! Hilarious , he is so down to earth he doesn't seem to even think things like "oh yeah, well I have 217 so there ". It's not about him which is great.
He’s had 40 BMW 2002s is how I understood it, which is pretty nuts. Even if he meant 40 BMWs that’s a serious car guy.
Yeah that's a lot of cars. I've owned only 18 cars in the past 25 years (there were times where I had like 3 or 4 cars at a time) but I culled the herd and have been driving one car for the past 6 years. I need another daily driver though as I'd like to keep the miles down on my current car. I can get antique plates for it now so I'd like to do so.
@@cghoward70 you may be right, and definitely has a serious Beemer habit.
Have a good one.
Yeah.. He could have said, "Really?.. Is that all?"
He's sooo down-to-earth it took him a full eight and a half minutes to mention his $20 million McLaren F1. IN A VIDEO ABOUT A 50 YEAR OLD BMW.
All-time favorite car of mine. If I ever get one, might give Dorian a call -- he's got an eye for detail.
Awesome job, Dorian. Both with the car and your presence on the show
Phil Kessel
old bmws are some of the most beautiful cars ever made. i bet the owner will get a lot of thumbs up when driving it
Such a beautiful restoration, congrats to Dorian and thanks to Jay for showing it!
Great car and Great conversation about Buffalo.
You know what is cool about this is that the cars transcend all the tv star stuff between Jay and whomever. He gets the chance to have real conversations with regular people on a level that they both can meet. No fawning or nervous awkward effort. Just easy accepted give and take. Not many people with his reputation have found a way too experience this. Had a chance to get a very clean bmw like this one back in 1986. Low mileage, etc. 2500 dollars and green. I passed it up and always regretted it. Had to pay for college.
Just…😍gorgeous!!! This is another example of utter perfection. Restomoded cars are so full of potential. It’s the beauty and timeless design of the past, unencumbered by ridiculous modern legislation, with the reliability and quality of modern drivetrains, brakes and suspension.
This car is a work of art! To me, it’s on the list of perfection, a very short list👍❤️
That's the car on which I did my driving license in Germany in 1970. I love the round rear lights, much nicer than the rectangular ones of later models.
Yes the round tail lights are far better . Same applies on the first Opel Manta.
Absolutely beautiful car built by a guy that is a craftsman. Jay is much better than he used to be in the past he would cut people off in the interview now he listens
See a lot of car people that love their cars, know their stuff about their car(s), but are the worst at talking about it. This guy is entertaining to hear talk to Jay, knows his stuff and not boring! Good choice for a video.
Just two car guys with great stories and a really cool car to talk about.. well done.
In my time, this was a favorite BMW model. It was one of the few 'right-size' automobiles.
There 2002 is the only BMW I like. That being said, I like the stock look. Newer BMW's are such money pits when they get old. The only way I would get a BMW is lease only for as long as the warranty.
Same way I’d own a Porsche. Long warranty and a quick sell before it expires!
Jay is such a wholesome dude. As a car guy it be fun to talk cars for hours with him. Also very cool build. Really like this weeks video.
My neighbor in high school had one of these and was a in love with it. Sadly he passed away early in his young life. He bought it with burger king money and loved it. He would wash & wax the car every weekend rain or shine. Love that car and miss my neighbor.
Damn that's a really nice story. Thank you for sharing...it's weird how we all have these similar memories from our youth from various cars featured on this show
Timeless car, aesthetically proportionate, and with the new upgrades even better than the originals which often isn't the case.
I have never driven a car with a ceramic clutch before. I put a new Exedy clutch into my car but I'm definitely going to go ceramic next time because I want a crisper take-up.
Jay , I love watching your channel . I'll probably never own a cool car but it takes me back to when I was a kid and my older brothers and their buddies had muscle cars . It's the way you stand there , just engrossed in hot rod talk .
I've always loved the 2002, and these videos are always enjoyable - but that parting shot where the camera-car stayed on as the 2002 took the off-ramp was an unexpectedly artistic touch - beautiful ending to a nicely shot piece!
I noticed that as well
My father has been a collector of classic cars for years, works hard as a president of his car club to promote classic car restoration. If there is any chance at all I would love to see jay come up and talk about his collection. He has been an awesome father to 3 disabled kids and deserves the best. please jay?
Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery! Keeping you in our prayers!
This really brings a smile to my face... in 1979 , I bought this same exact model BMW 2002 ( a 1972 , with 72,000 original miles on it ) .... I absolutely loved driving that car...sold it to someone who had visions of making it a Tii ( fuel injection ).... it was a really fun car to drive, that handled great.
I owned a '73 2002 tii back in 1979 while stationed in Northern Germany with the US Air Force. It was a four door version of this same orange color, and it was the most fun car I ever drove. The little fuel injected 2.0 liter engine had 135 HP and was very smooth. It had an amazing tendency to pull stronger the higher the RPMs got, which added to thrill. And the best part was I got to drive on the Autobahn, what was a total blast!
Jay once again motivating us to keep moving....4th of July and he still has content for us. Very inspring big guy. Back to work for me!
this is 100% great too se, from a former 2002 mechanic who has driven all of this models.
Can you imagine the honor of having Jay personally pick your car and ask to be on his show? Amazing!
We need more BMW content Jay! Love seeing these cars on your show.
An absolutely gorgeous car. And what a nice chap too.
My favorite year of BMW right there.
nice to see that the 2002s are appreciated still id love to restore one myself
This is my absolute favorite car of all time.
Italian design
Mine too. I purchased my 02 when I was 16 years old. I’m more in love with my modified car 51 years later. Always interesting to see the individual modifications made. A switch from Weber side drafts to EFI in 2004 was one of the best changes I made.
Love Jay’s “street finds”. Quite an interesting series.
I love how quick jay pulled the pin on the hood while homie was struggling tryna explain it to jay 😂 hahaha he was just waiting for him like a boss
😅
2002 is still my favorite BMW model. Nicely done
They were a great car stock.but he did a very tasteful upgrade thanks for having it on your show thanks 😊 👍
What a neat-o BMW; nicely done!
When I read “Restomod” in the thumbnail, before I started the film, I anticipated the running gear and suspension of the E30 M3 to be tucked up under the stock body of a BMW 2002. I ain’t disappointed in what I watched though.
Exactly. I was thinking in terms of a Chevy engine, or something like that. This is a hopped up, restored 2002.
It's beauty lies in its simplicity real stunner and enough performance to bring smiles to the miles.
I genuinely loved hearing about Buffalo, really interesting!
Wonderful car, the attention to detail is amazing!!
That's one of the cars I've always enjoyed seeing and always wanted. Awesome 👍
MASTERPIECE!!! i loved this models BMW 2002 , 60'S & 70'S
This is the classic BMW fan you can talk euro sport cars with all day. Down to Earth, not trying to impress the fellers, just appreciation of the engineering and technology.
I just love a restomod done right. Beautiful work!
This 2002 is perfect in every way, what a lovely owner & great vid with Jay. Wow
When I just left school in 72, my best friend (whose family were somewhat well do do) got his first car. Brand new 2002 in yellow. I was so jealous. Even then, they were very rare in the UK.
I have always loved the 2002 and always will!!! This is a stunning example. THANK YOU JAY & DORIAN!
Great car and a great guy. Loads of knowledge and an excellent presentation. Nice flashback for Jay.
Well done
"These are so practical"....With a full cage, fuel cell, and no sound deadening.😂
Thanks, Jay and crew, for another excellent episode! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
This is the best 2002 I have seen. Great car. Congratulation to Dorian on an exquisite build. This model has been on my list for years.
I saw an article about the "true value" of Jay's collection! I think the value is priceless our history should be preserved....if certain forces get their way and rewrite history, We can be easily decieved! Now, people would have you think electric vehicles cannot be practical... Jay has electric cars that are over 100 years old! Catch my drift and can you draw other parallels?
Great car and restoration, and such a nice owner (car guys always are). It brings back menories of my own -75 2002 tii. I think it was about 135hp here in Sweden, we did not have any kind of exhaust emission control back then. Thank you Jay.
Never knew a 5 speed was ever an option
Like this type of owner / featured car !!
Many owners are functioning on a whole different level including Dorian
Clean 2002 unbelievable commitment / quality
Big fan of these bmws and the owner forums are beyond engaged in all things bmw
Jay mentioned fiat…
I was “slumming “
with a white 128 front wheel drive 4- door fiat and the 65 hp as the 2002’s were out of my price range back in the 80’s
a little rev monkey that was a blast to whip around in with plenty of room for four adults and a decent +- trunk
Carb needle value would easily clog…
Stop, pop hood, remove, blow out specks of dirt, pop back in and off again …
A buddy took his camping on state forest fire roads🆘
Had a 128 3P coupe, had to change fuel filters frequently, almost as frequent as engine overhauls! ( the Rod's stretch when you use 8k as redline, car still pulling, because it will ). Carried spare fuel filters in the glove box, not so much with the Rod's. Carillo made Rod's for the 1290, at $200 each (in 1980!), but the junkyards had plenty of used engines! And learned how to pull the engine quickly! 🤭👍
Im not convinced it ever was.....
Obviously this is not your typical Resto mod.
The closer you look the more you see. The body work and the paint are unbelievable.
Every seam on every panal looks flawless.
And the fact that this is a small shop and hands on everything.
Really amazing
Jay you the best my dad used to own these car a couple times he crashed two driving fast to the hospital. He died but u gave me beautiful memories of my dad today. I love your channel . You the best
Thanks Jay. Fourth of July present. My cousin has a 74 non roundie in Albany NY. In 84 he drove here LA from NY. We went to Disneyland flying on the 5 fwy. What a thrill in my youth. Not as clean as this one. Thanks Jay. Happy 4th.👍💣❤😎🤑
Jay's vast knowledge of vehicles and experience interviewing guests as a talkshow host come together so seemlessly and perfectly on this channel.
I think it's 's so cool that Jay randomly spotted this car. It totally illustrates his keen eye for very special cars to spotlight.
Such a great video! Dorian’s build is definitely something special like all the other cars he has! 🍻
Love this build, it's just the kind of car and builds I'd like to make myself.
I have to say, First Time ,I've seen Jay, really " enjoy " a drive. His demeanor was like in no other car. I grew up in Jay's neck of the woods, in New England, Bmw and Saab
One thing i love about Leno, despite his ilrepute rputation in his comedic career, is that he brings on guys who just build cars not looking for reputation. He is an average joe that lives cars. And you can tell he cares not only about the cars, but also the people behind them. It is really cool.
This is my dream build! I wish I had the skill and budget to make it nice like that!
Possibly 1st, love a 2002, I've got 4 of them, 2 coupes, 1 touring wagon, 1 convertible, all run, 1with a E30 M3 engine swap, Rj in Oz
A BMW model 2002 wagon??? None were ever made to my knowledge. Please enlighten me!
If you actually own a Baur Cabriolet, that's pretty goddam rare.
Best colour I 've ever seen in a BMW !!! This tangerine orange is stunning !!!
I got out of the Navy in '75 and needed a car to drive off to college. Ended up with a '70 2002 with about 35000 miles. Cost about $3000 back then, not sure how much they were new in '70. It was wonderful car. I loved driving it (flogging it?) on the back roads where I was. Took it autocrossing one time, couldn't quite keep up with the Porsche 914s. It did have some problems. The first to materialize was the synchro from 3rd to 2nd, caused me to get good at double clutching. I had the tranny rebuilt but 5000 miles later same problem. Had it fixed a second time (the place gave me a discount...). Ooops, that didn't last either. Got a factory rebuilt from BMW and that stayed fixed for as long as I owned the car. The next problem was the drivers window lift/crank stopped working, actually the window sort of fell down inside the door. Next after that the fuel pump went out. That car had a pump with a push rod following a cam and a rocker arm to actuate a diaphram (iirc). The problem was the pivot bearing for the rocker arm went out. When the replacement pump also failed we tried a pump from a more recent version of the car. This had no rocker arm and stayed working. At this point the car usually required a special drill to get started. Hood open, air cleaner off, one hand on the ignition, can of engine starter in the other hand aimed down the carb throat, one foot on the gas and the other foot on the pavement. Glory be it was a smallish car so I could stretch that far. Once the car was running the pump worked well enough to keep it running. My little start-up dance didn't impress a couple of my dates much, though.
The trunk usually smelled like gas. Ugh. After a while the fuel level sender went out. A new sender fixed that and the gas smell.
After having the car for 8 years something was going loose in the body or frame. I noticed in the car in the video there was some extra bracing in the engine compartment. In my car the body developed a bit of a wrinkle on the fender just before the windshield pillars. I wonder if that bracing would have stopped that.
After playing footsie down the back side of Mt. Hamilton in the Bay Area with a Merc Capri I had a Weber 2 barrel put on. I could out corner the Capri no problem (Conti TS771 tires) but it had more power than I did. In those days the car stereo was hooked to a pair of AR-7 (small) bookshelf speakers in the backseat. On that trip down the mountain my college roomie and his dog were in the car. I remember his dog trying to climb in front to get away from the dog-eating speakers in the backseat and him pushing the poor door back again.
After the Weber carb went in the car wold slap your head with the headrests in second gear when going around 30mph.
I seem to recall that a '70 2002 weighed in around 2000 lbs with just under 100hp. It seemed pretty fast to me, capable of lighting up the back tires.
I loved how much visibility the car had with so much glass.
Another problem was that at 90mph the aerodynamics (or lack thereof caused the back end to get really light). A spoiler would definitely be a good idea if high speed driving is planned.
When I was coming back to the Bay Area after a school year, my roommate was towing the 2002 behind his van because the synchro had gotten really bad. He was a more than slightly aggressive driver and was following traffic too closely. Some one way in front of us decided to turn left as we were approaching Weed, CA (there used to be a "High Hopes" trailer park in Weed in the mid 70s!). He stomped on the brakes but we didn't think much of it. We got through Weed and were headed south on I-5. We hadn't got far when someone pulled up next to use waving us over to the side of the road. So we pulled over. The brake stomping had caused the front bumper on the 2002 to collapse especially on the left side. Those front bumpers wrapped around and it had made contact with the left front tire's sidewall which was not mostly not present. We managed to pull the bumper back out a bit (the mounts were pretty flimsy), and put on the spare. I got to drive the 2002 from Mt. Shasta back to the Bay Area without using 2nd gear.
Oh and there was not idiot beep if I left the headlights on. I couldn't seem to remember to turn them off, so I finally started impaling the ignition key through a bit of paper that said "Turn the lights off, dummy!" I could remember to do that, but not to turn them off....
In '83 I got a Porsche 944 and sold the pumpkin car (the 2002 was international orange).
It would be cool to get another 2002, but I think custom cars are not in my future. Can't work on them myself anymore and don't want to even think about would it would cost to have someone else do it. I look back fondly on driving the 2002 between K. Falls and Ashland, OR on back roads, up at 5000' elevation, doubling the yellow signs around the corners and sometimes leaping from the top of one pavement patch to the next.
Thank you so much for this video. It really brought back memories, mostly good. I test drove a BMW 320i but it didn't much impress me compared with my 2002.
That's one sweet restoration you've done there, sir!
One of my all time favorites. Good job💪
how cool is that for Jay Leno to spot you at a car meet and invite you on the show cuz your build was just so badass he felt it deserved to be featured. that to me is the ultimate ANY car guy would love to have happen to them!
but this build in itself really was deserving of this feature. excellent work.
Looks like a very meticulously built car, that guy certainly does nice work. Thanks for the featuring this car Jay 👍☮️🇺🇲
An all time great car, rather small, handy, quite fast, economical to maintain. Pure love.
Definitely love this episode this series of BMW was so under appreciated back in the day and now too see one in Jay Leno's garage is amazing and a great owner who definitely appreciates it and thanks for sharing it with us Jay 👍👊😎
One sunny day in Scottsdale AZ, I was working one of my earliest jobs at a gas station next to a restaurant. A customer brought in one of these BMWs (very new), and left it to go to the restaurant. After filling the tank, I got to drive the car off the fuel island to park it next to the building. Essentially, I drove the car in a 270° loop. In that minimal interaction with the car, I was treated to an incredible feeling. I don't remember if it was a manual transmission, but the steering was amazing. It was the best feeling car I'd ever driven.